Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic Cabriolet
Here’s something you can use at the next pub quiz…
Which country in Europe buys the most open-top cars? Feel free to use cabriolet, drop-top, convertible, roadster, rag top, etc.
I guarantee the names of countries with warm, sunny climates will feature fairly heavily. Well, they’d all be wrong because the number one country for fresh air motoring is closer to home…Great Britain. The problem with open-air motoring in somewhere like Spain, Greece or Italy is that if you drive along in the sunshine with the roof down, you’ll soon discover a snag when you reach your destination. Unbeknownst to you, because of the cooling breeze, you’ve been steadily frying courtesy of the UV rays.
I have experience from a recent holiday in Cyprus. I was red raw for days.
Britain’s love affair with open air motoring
In Britain, we’ve had a love affair with open air motoring ever since the car was invented, and the love affair doesn’t get any more intense than when you’re driving a Mercedes Cabriolet.
Especially when it’s the fire-breathing AMG 53 model. It looks wonderful, doesn’t it? Talk about grace.
This is the Mercedes CLE.
Engine options
You have 5 engine options, all of which use a 9-speed automatic gearbox. Power ranges from the entry-level 2.0 litre 4-cylinder petrol engine, which, when linked to the hybrid system, will churn out 224bhp and give you around 43mpg. Prices for this version cost £55,495 (Sept 25). If you like extra fuel economy (business drivers take note), add a further £1600 and go for the 2.0 litre diesel, which produces a combined 220bhp but improves the consumption to almost 58mpg. Both engines power the rear wheels.
Climb the price range, and the 2.0 litre engine now produces 277bhp. It shaves a second off the 2.0 litre petrol car’s 7.9 seconds 0-60mph. You also get 4Matic all-wheel drive and it’s no surprise that fuel economy drops to 39.3mpg.
Bearing in mind that you buy a cabriolet in order to drop the roof at every possible opportunity, it’s always nice to have a decent exhaust note. Consequently, I’d point you in the direction of the pair of 6-cylinder 3.0 litre CLEs. The CLE-AMG 450 4Matic produces 397bhp and slices your 0-60mph figure down to 4.7 seconds, but if you want to go the whole hog, it has to be the one you see here, the Mercedes-AMG CLE 53 4Matic+. Yes, the price rises to £85,410 (Sept 25), but don’t forget that this isn’t an ordinary Mercedes; this one has had AMG casting their magic spell over it. If you want a cabriolet with sporting intentions, this is it. A combined total of 465bhp gives you a clue as to what you can expect. So does a 0-60 dash of 4.4 seconds.
To make things even sharper, there’s also the addition of 4-wheel steering, a reworked suspension set up called AMG Ride Control, and a body kit which makes the car look a tad threatening. Oh, and there’s a Drift Mode. Very handy.
Drop top benefits
I was lucky when the CLE was delivered as it coincided with a trip to the Lake District and some late summer sunshine. Cue dropping the roof (it takes only 20 seconds to raise or lower, and you can do either at speeds up to 37mph) and making the most of some great driving roads, which were surprisingly quiet.
No need to worry about a cool-ish breeze because Mercedes has a clever bit of design called Airscarf, which blows warm air around your neck. There’s also Aircap, which raises a small spoiler above the windscreen and a windbreak behind the rear seats. The result is that they deflect wind over the occupants. You can lower the windbreak if you think it spoils the look of the car. I fiddled with it and found that, below around 60mph, it had little effect. Go faster, and it certainly reduces any buffeting.
Driving experience
Needless to say, because this is an AMG-tuned CLE, the driving experience is terrific, but it never becomes harsh. Remember, this is a car designed for cruising, so that means comfort is also a priority.
Mercedes has found a happy balance. If you to decide to gun the 3.0 litre six-pot, you surge forward with a tremendous growl from the exhausts but go easily and you are accompanied by a gentle grumble. Lovely. The steering is light, although I’d prefer a bit more weight to it. However, on the plus side, this is an effortless car to punt around. Brisk cornering is sure-footed thanks to the 4x4 set-up, which has a rear bias, and the all-wheel steering. The latter makes for simple parking.
Interior
The interior is a work of art. There’s also decent legroom for the rear couple of passengers. The different variants are a tad confusing. Okay, the engines are the easy bit, but if you include trims, etc, there are 17 different CLEs available. It’ll bore you to tears if I go through everything, but let’s start with the bare minimum - the Mercedes CLE 200 AMG Line Cabriolet.
You’ll get 18-inch alloys, sports suspension, AMG body kit, LED headlights, powered driver’s seat with 4-way lumbar support, reversing camera, heating for both front seats, sat nav and smartphone integration with wireless charging. To be honest, most buyers will be happy with that.
If you want the lower-powered engines, we’d recommend forking out an additional five grand or so for AMG Line Premium Plus because your alloys fatten out to 20 inches and you get terrific digital headlights, 360-degree parking cameras, massaging seats (which are seriously comfortable and supportive by the way) and a Burmester sound system which’ll knock your socks off.
All versions get a 17-inch central touchscreen, which can be adjusted for angle so that the sun doesn’t affect it when you have the roof lowered. It’s a pity that nearly everything has to be controlled via this bit of kit. Buttons please. Mercedes also likes haptic sliders rather than a knob. They’re fiddly and tricky to regulate. Techy stuff is great, but sometimes it seems to be overcomplicated. Minor gripes.
Concluding thoughts
If you’re in the market for a Mercedes CLE Cabriolet, my advice would be to stretch your financial options as far as possible because the 3.0-litre, 6-cylinder CLEs are the ones to go for. A drop-top car is a sports car, and having one which really can perform is a truly wonderful experience. With the top-end CLE versions, you also have a car which will make for effortless, long-distance cruising. Chuck in the added soundtrack from behind your ears and you have one of the best driving experiences imaginable.
The latest CLE looks gorgeous and seats four people in comfort. Posing is recommended whenever possible.
words: Graham Courtney
pictures: Mercedes-Benz
